Justice Souter may be retired, but he still works

By DENISE LAVOIE AP Legal Affairs Writer

BOSTON (AP) - For David Souter (SOO'-tur), retirement from the U.S. Supreme Court last June has not meant retirement from the bench.

At the age of 70, he is hearing cases one or two days a month for the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston.

Friends say he sees this as an opportunity to stay involved at a high level, while staying close to his home near Concord, N.H.

By retiring at age 69, he became one of the youngest judges to leave the bench.

Those who know him say he never enjoyed Washington. So they are not surprised by his decision to return to the 1st Circuit court. He served just one day there before his nomination in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush.